Bali Rice Farmer
On the way to Tanah Lot Bali, you’ll drive through miles of rice fields. We pulled over to the side of the road to get a few photos. This old…
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Canon 70-200mm
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Kecak Dancers of Bali
The Kecak Dance, or Ramayana Monkey Chant, is a dramatic Balinese performance where over 50 male dancers chant “chak” and wave their hands to symbolize fire, reenacting a battle from the Ramayana. Capturing this event with my Canon 5D Mark II and 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens was challenging due to low light, but I managed to get some great shots. Post-processing involved a few Lightroom presets and final sharpening in Photoshop.
Kintai-kyo of Japan
The Kintai Bridge of Iwakuni Japan is a stunning example of ancient Japanese architecture. It was built in 1673 without using any nails, only interlocking wood pieces. I was lucky enough to photograph it some 300 years later, after paying the toll and testing its strength with my foot.
Itsukushima Shrine of Miyajima
This is the Itsukushima Shrine of Miyajima, Japan. It's off the coast of Hiroshima. They built this shrine about 400 years ago, and they built it in the water because they believed the island itself was a god.
Looking Down the Takachiho Gorge
This shot is from a higher elevation on the path that follows the edge of the Takachiho Gorge. The Takachiho Gorge is located on Kyushu Island in the Miyazaki Prefecture of Southern Japan.
This gorge is a natural wonder formed by volcanic eruptions and erosion. There are several great spots to take photos, from up here above, and from down below. There are also trailers around where you can find some different views.
Yosemite’s Half Dome From 2012
Earlier this year, I went to the Yosemite Half Dome. Back then, I was still more of a hobby photographer, not really taking it seriously, just shooting for fun. Unfortunately, I didn't shoot a single HDR photo.
Utah’s Million Dollar View
As you drive into Utah coming from Arizona, you'll come across this spot called the Million Dollar View. It's technically a little higher than this, but these are some of the mountains in that view. I just got down and got a closer look. For a point of reference, Lake Powell is a few hundred yards to the right of this mountain. This whole area is pretty awesome. I have a few more shots here that I'll be posting as I get more time to process them. I would love to go back here and really spend a few days exploring the landscape and seeing what kinds of photos I can get. But unfortunately, it's a 9-hour drive from my house, so that's probably not going to happen anytime soon.
Grand Canyon – View from Mather Point
A year and a half later, I returned to the Grand Canyon with two new lenses. This time, I had a little more time—about two hours. I was able to use my tripod and switch my lenses a couple of times. This photo was taken on my Canon 70-200mm f2.8L IS II. The Grand Canyon often calls for a long lens to really focus on its features. This was a three-shot HDR taken handheld with that lens. Handheld can be very tricky and often doesn't turn out right if you move the lens too much. Luckily, this lens has an auto stabilizer that works great when you can get it to kick in. The photo was processed in Photomatix using the Exposure Fusion technique and tweaked with Lightroom 4.2.
The Haunted Queen Mary
In WWII, the Queen Mary was called the Grey Ghost, not because it was haunted but because of its color and the way it smoothly sailed across the water.
Doesn't it just look haunted? Apparently, some 150 ghosts haunt the Queen Mary, and I've read that up to 49 people have died aboard the ship. Personally, I don't believe in ghosts, but I have experienced a lot of very weird phenomena in my life. Like dishes spontaneously exploding in my house, light bulbs exploding randomly, and speakers talking even when not plugged in, to name a few.
Lesser Flamingos – San Diego Wild Animal Park
Lesser Flamingos from the San Diego Wild Animal Park. Did you know their feathers' pink and reddish color comes from the carotenoid pigments in the algae and crustaceans they eat? I didn't realize that until I read it on a bit of board posted in front of the Lesser Flamingo exhibit. Now I do. And now you do, too. It's freaky how red their eyes are. It almost looks like they could have built-in lasers.